Men can also benefit from soy products

Nutrition Health Review, Fall, 2002

Much attention has been given lately to how women can benefit from the healthful properties of soy, but new research reveals that men should incorporate soy into their diets as well. Researchers from around the world shared their research results at the Fourth International Symposium on the Role of Soy in Preventing and Treating Chronic Disease, November 4 to 7, 2001, at the Hyatt Regency Islandia in San Diego. Among their key findings: Soy may help inhibit growth of prostate cancer cells and stabilize the disease in diagnosed patients, and it may reduce blood pressure, thereby reducing heart disease risk.

According to 2001 statistics from the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second largest cause of cancer-related deaths in men, with 31,500 deaths expected this year. Prostate cancer is also the number one type of new cancer cases in men, with an estimated 198,100 new cases being diagnosed in 2001. Mortality rates from prostate cancer are twice as high for African-American men than they are for Caucasians.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, or kidney failure. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), men are more likely to suffer heart attacks and are more likely to face them earlier in life.

AHA's 2001 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update emphasized that heart disease is the single largest killer of American men. Fortunately, many of the risk factors are controllable, and diet is an important factor. The FDA approved a health claim for soy in 1999, stating that consumption of 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease.